Court Sentences PDO to Three Years in Prison for Bribery
Mangaluru: In a significant ruling underscoring the fight against corruption, the 3rd Additional District and Sessions Court in Mangaluru sentenced Prem Singh Naik, the Panchayat Development Officer of Aithoor village in the Kadaba taluk of Dakshina Kannada district, to three years of simple imprisonment for demanding a bribe of ₹9,000 related to a 9/11 record. The verdict was delivered on December 13, 2024, following the investigation of the case that dates back to June 3, 2019.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) initiated proceedings after registering a case at the Mangaluru police station under FIR No. 05/2019, invoking Section 7(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 (as amended in 2018). The ACB effectively carried out a trap operation leading to Naik’s apprehension while he was demanding the illicit payment.
In addition to the prison sentence, the court imposed a fine of ₹50,000 on Naik. Should he fail to comply with the monetary penalty, the court has mandated an additional month of simple imprisonment.
Inspector Shyam Sundar HM, the investigating officer, played a pivotal role in the case, submitting the charge sheet to the court. The government was represented by Special Public Prosecutor Ravindra Munnipady during the proceedings.